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The Visible Line

Samuel Miller on why certain men hate creeds and confessions:

From those, then, who have departed, or at least begun to depart from “the faith once for all delivered to the saints,” almost exclusively, do we hear the “oppression” and “mischief” of Creeds and Confessions. And is it any marvel that those who maintain the innocence of error, should be unwilling to raise fences for keeping it out of the Church? Is it any marvel that the Arian, the Socinian, the Pelagian, and such as are verging toward those fatal errors, should exceedingly dislike all the evangelical formularies, which tend to make visible the line of distinction between the friends and enemies of the Redeemer? No; “men,” as has been often well observed, “men are seldom opposed to Creeds, until Creeds have become opposed to them.” That they should dislike and oppose them, in these circumstances, is just as natural as that a culprit arraigned before a civil tribunal, should equally dislike the law, its officer, and its sanction.”

From The Utility and Importance of Creeds and Confessions by Samuel Miller. All punctuation is his.